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Finding Your Clients’ Best Career – as They Define Best
“82,365,000 Americans aren’t happy in their jobs”
̶ Statistica Survey, November 2024
Not one of those more than 82 million workers intentionally chose a career they knew would be bad for them.
Please don’t misunderstand. Lots tried to find the best jobs. But because they weren’t working with the career coach, two factors worked powerfully, but subtly against them.
First, they chose unreliable sources which presented data rather than information. Those sources might include friends, family members, coworkers, lists of “top jobs,” and unsupported social media postings from so-called “influencers.”
Second, they never defined what success would mean to them.
In this article, I’ve laid out an approach which counters these two distractions. Because you’ll be guiding clients to find the best careers, they will see you delivering even more value than they could have imagined.
There are just three questions that will give uncertain clients clear and compelling proof that they found the best career field for them as they define “best.” Of course, you provide the guidance. But it’s important your clients do the work. After all, the decision can only be theirs.
The three questions define a hierarchy which will keep your clients on track and deliver the best possible answers. The order you follow them removes distractions. Finally, because you’ll encourage your clients to initially consider any career field, they’ll never look back after they’ve chosen the one that’s best for them.
To be clear, a career field is a collection of knowledge, skills, abilities, and passions that meet employers’ needs. Career fields are much approximated by job titles. They are also just the opposite of being too narrowly focused. That’s because most career fields exist in the private sector, the public sector, and the nonprofit sector. They also exist in nearly every industry.
Question #1: what must the client be seen to do on the job to be acknowledged as the go to expert by their boss, their colleagues, their customers, and most importantly by themselves. This approach provides an ironclad defense against Imposter Syndrome.
If a client cannot, or doesn’t want to, do the things that are required to ensure success there is no point in going any further. It doesn’t matter how many jobs there are in that field, or how much it pays. Working in the wrong field does not result in a career. It imposes a punitive, long-running sentence.
Keep your clients focused. “Leadership,” “being professional,” “being dedicated to working hard,” “having strong communication skills,” those are all admirable traits. However those are the minimum standards for any job that doesn’t require the holder to wear a paper hat that has “Trainee” printed on it. Keywords are not career fields. They are usually general traits that don’t define excellence.
Top practitioners in the field can spell out precisely how the best must perform on the job. These leaders are often speakers at conferences, directors of executive professional organizations, or authors of leading articles. The questions themselves are quite specific. But the details are best left for a separate article.
Question # 2 has two elements. First, how many jobs are there in this field? Your clients can get a good indication of this by searching job boards for the job titles that come closest to the field. The second element describes the workplace. How many positions are office based? How many are virtual? How many are remote? How many would require your client to relocate? Finally, how do people advance in this field?
Question #3 describes compensation. That includes salary, benefits, perks, bonuses, and severance. There are many sites that can give you objective data by career field. Ask your client how important each part of compensation is to them.
Question #3 also considers the culture. Many career fields and industries have typical cultures. For example, consider how different the culture is in a law office compared to a manufacturing plant. Later, as you guide your clients in doing due diligence and preparing for the interview they will soon get a sense of what the values of a particular company looks like.
As you coach your clients to answer all three questions they will soon find themselves with one or two career fields. Reviewing the answers they got to the three questions will help them make this choice. But of course, it is always the clients’ decision, not ours.
Let’s consider an example summarized by the table below. It compares the answers to the three questions against two career fields that were still in the running.
| What must they do to be a success? | How many jobs are there? | What does the compensation look like? | |
| Career field A | The client loves this field | Both fields have about the same number of opportunities | Acceptable compensation |
| Career field B | The client likes this field | Acceptable compensation, but career field B pays $50K more annually than career field A |
Table 1: Comparing two career fields
One client may choose career field A. They will say: “I know career field B pays more. But there’s more to life than money. Since I only go around once in life, the work I do is very important to me. That’s why I chose career field A.”
Another client may choose career field B. This client says: “Of course rewarding work is important. But I have plans for my family. I just cannot walk away from $50,000 more each year.”
In summary, consider the benefits of guiding your client to find the best career field. They will remain focused. They will no longer be chasing a series of disconnected positions. Their career campaign is coherent and focused. Each step reinforces the next one. Of course the job search documents, their Linkedin profiles, social media posts you helped them write, all match the power of your clients brand with the field they are targeting. Said another way, you provided your clients with something even more valuable than a solid path to the next job. Thanks to you they have wisdom that will guide them for the rest of their work life.
Remember the number at the top of this article? Those 82 million people define the potential size of this market. And the match between what you offer and how those potential clients will guide your marketing, your sales, the kinds of quality you deliver, and show you as in the best in your career field – because you defined “best.”
What’s the Worst that Can Happen?
When my clients are engaged in a career transition, they often tell me they are scared, nervous, and uncertain. Some express excitement and anticipation. I ask my clients, “What is the worst thing that can happen?”
The employment market has become unhinged in the past couple of weeks. Scores of federal employees are resigning, being furloughed, or even fired in some cases. It feels like uncertain times.
As a career coach, I frame every situation as a positive opportunity. Those making the transition from federal to industry need to explore many options, including job titles, companies of interest, industries, disciplines, salaries, and more.
Some federal employees only hold federal experience and are not familiar with the corporate culture and how it operates. There are cultural differences that need to be explored:
| Federal | Corporate |
| Requires a detailed and lengthy résumé/application | Typically requires about a 2-page résumé |
| Most federal positions are posted on usajobs.gov – a one-stop portal for federal job applications. Some excepted agencies post jobs on their websites only (and some tied to usajobs.gov) | Résumés and applications may be posted on job boards, specific company websites, and via recruiters or referrals. Or they may not be posted – and the positions are filled via word-of-mouth |
| Résumés are scored based on a scoring system against qualifications, competencies, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) | Résumés may be selected via an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) focused on keywords and key messages. There may or may not be scoring based on the type and size of the company. Keywords and key messages are not revealed to job seekers |
| The hiring process is very procedural and created for fairness based on minimum qualifications, and those who score as ‘highly qualified’ | Most companies can hire and fire hire at will. Department of Defense contractors often follow federal hiring scoring requirements to ensure they meet the requirements of the federal contract |
Job seekers may also need to explore and develop new career management skills, including résumé development, interviewing, salary negotiations, onboarding, and preparation for upward progression.
| Federal | Corporate |
| Uses a lengthy, detailed résumé. LinkedIn or social media profiles are not required in most cases. Many federal employees do not have LI profiles | Many recruiters, Human Resource specialists, and hiring managers look to candidates’ LI profiles for validation of skill sets and to review the candidates’ activity level |
| Federal interviews are typically structured (using the same set of questions for each candidate) and behavior-based. There may be a requirement to complete a skill test | Corporate interviews may take the form of behavioral, hypothetical/situation-based, stressed-based, skills-based, meal-based, or meeting with leaders and subordinates, preparing and delivering a presentation, taking a skills test or assessment, and more |
| Most federal employees do not negotiate a salary – the salary levels are set, and raises are in the form of career-ladder positions and quality step increases | In corporate, negotiating a salary is expected in many cases (outside of entry-level and hourly positions) |
The examples above will help you construct a career coaching program to guide your clients in exploring career opportunities. As you build your coaching sessions to coach your clients to explore options for career transition, consider the following areas:
- Venting: Your clients may need to vent and share their fears and concerns. During extreme upheaval and career transitions, I often schedule time for my clients to vent and share. Grief, disappointment, and depression in a job search are real and impactful. Connect with your clients, validate their feelings, demonstrate empathy, and build rapport.
- Needs Assessment: Ask your clients what they need most from you when exploring new opportunities, e.g., a new résumé, a family budget, job search guidance, interview preparation, a career management action plan, initiating informational interviews, etc. Identify their pain points and use this as a roadmap for the exploration process.
- Assessment Tools: Your clients may benefit from an assessment tool like D.I.S.C or CliftonStrengths. Assessment tools are not “tests.” Rather, they may provide golden nuggets concerning your client’s behaviors, preferences, likes, and dislikes, which may help prepare the job search and develop the résumé. I coach my clients through several exercises included in the CPCC program, including creating a purpose statement and identifying values, motivational factors, strengths, and goals.
- Explore via Due Diligence & Research: Ask your clients to conduct research. Start with O*Net. Ask your clients what interests them. Do they have a passion? Do they have an unfinished goal? Have they always dreamed of working for a specific company or in a particular discipline?
- Explore and analyze job position descriptions of interest to identify patterns and trends to understand minimum qualifications and required experience, competencies, and credentials.
- Career Redirect: Use the “Think Outside the Box” activity (an exercise in the CPCC program). Ask your clients if they are willing to make a 180-degree career transition—from being a policy analyst to returning to school to obtain a nursing degree. Encourage your clients to consider many options. I ask my clients, if nothing impeded their decision to seek a new career, what would they pursue (what do they want to be when they grow up)?
- Are they near retirement? If your clients are looking at encore careers, they can really think outside the box. For example, many retirees work at cruise line hotels in Denali, Alaska, as shuttle bus drivers, food service workers, and other roles. These are seasonal positions. These seasonal employees can then build points and use the points to travel the world on the cruise line.
- Other options for retirees seeking part-time work and income include online teaching, handy-person, home health, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, teaching English in a foreign country, high-end house sitter (globally), and more.
- Explore websites that post interesting, seasonal, and out-of-the-box jobs: coolworks.com | cooljobs.com | clearancejobs.com | clearedjobs.com | jobmonkey.com/uniquejobs/ | thetutorresource.com/fun-remote-jobs/ |
- Explore websites that may help jumpstart the research: iHire.com, LinkedIn.com, alumni career centers, and associations focused on your client’s area of expertise.
Guiding clients to explore new options for shifting from federal to corporate includes asking them to apply the knowledge they gained and offer that value to a new employer. This is a unique opportunity to coach many federal employees in making decisions about exploring new employment options and exploring how to build a career management plan.
So, when my clients tell me they are scared about exploring new career options, I ask them, “What is the worst that can happen?” Often, responses include: I will lose my steady income, I can’t afford to go back to school, I am scared to make a change, or I’m too old. I say, “Let’s explore that and see if we can turn that into a positive opportunity.”
Career Exploration: Identifying “My Signature Career Values”
Don’t laugh. I won a cha-cha contest with Cheryl Philips when I was 12 years old, and that was the extent of my dancing career. But throughout my one short season of dance lessons, I did learn that to be successful – like winning a cha-cha contest – one partner had to lead and the other one followed the lead. They complement each other with each partner knowing their respective roles. And when the wrong person attempts to lead the dance, the outcome can be comical. Or, if dancing on stage, devastating.
Comparable to dancing, career exploration requires two entities to work (dance) together: 1) The head (intellect), and 2) The heart (feelings). The problem with traditional career exploration methodologies, and why most people aren’t working at their ideal jobs and/or capacity, is that they are leading with the head instead of the heart. They got the dance backwards.
Most career programs and processes include some form of ‘testing’ instruments that require the brain (head) to evaluate the questions, and then come up with answers. For instance, Career Fitter is a 60-question personality and career test that matches interests and preferences with potential careers. Career seekers ‘think’ their way through the 60 questions with the head busy at work, while the heart sits in the stands and just watches it all play out. To its dismay.
This is true of pretty much all leading career exploration programs and processes. ONET Interest Profiler is a self-directed tool from the USDOL that helps one identify their work-related interests and abilities. All head work. Same for the Keirsey Temperament Sorter Test, the Big Five Personality Assessment, and BigFuture. Then there is Career Explorer, a test that uses machine learning to match interests, goals, history, personality, and workplace preferences with potential careers. Finally, there is the Holland Code Quiz, which is an assessment tool that focuses on skills.
For some reason, decade after decade, the process of career exploration comes down to taking tests, quizzes, and instruments. All head work – no heart work. Then, when the decision-by-head is made, where the head leads the dance, inevitably, the heart says, “I’m outta here”. And when the heart’s not in it any more, only turbulence lies ahead.
The Perfect Dance
It’s a partnership. The heart says, “Let’s go to Mars and fly a helicopter.” The head responds, “Impossible, but I’ll make it happen.” And it does. A perfect dance. Susan B. Anthony (and others) said, “We have the right to vote and we will overturn 144 years of history?” The head said, “No way Jose.” The heart responded, “Enjoy making it happen.” And the head figured out how.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
When the heart leads the dance, and when there is a purpose-driven will… the head will find a way
The 6-8 / 90 principle to identify “My Signature Career Values”
Without exception, everyone has them. We all have a set of about 6-8 core values that define 90% of our happiness or satisfaction with our lives and in a career/job. A ‘value’ is something that makes us happy, it comes from the heart, and is immutable at the moment. ‘I love my children,’ is a value, it makes us happy, and it’s impossible to change in the moment. If freedom is a core value, most of us will have trouble working for a micromanager. We need the freedom to succeed, not someone watching over us every minute.
Our core values are so strong, they cannot be compromised without negative, or often, severe, consequences. The head cannot dictate how the heart feels, but in fact, that’s how most career evaluations work.
If you’ve followed me at all, you know that I believe in the principle that about 6-8 things make 90% of the difference in most things in life. Sometimes it’s less, as in the title to my book, 5 Steps to Rapid Employment. And sometimes it’s more, like The Ten Commandments. But you get the idea. It’s just a few things that make the most difference. So the goal in career exploration is to help career explorers identify their 6-8 most important career values, and then prioritize them – ranking them in the order of importance. Once identified, a job seeker will have identified “My Signature Career Values.”
It’s been my experience that most people never ponder the question, what really makes me happy – specifically? Have you ever had a dream or desire (heart speaking), and then the head butts in and says that you can’t afford it, or you don’t deserve it, or your spouse will kill you, or any one of a million reasons why you can’t do it? And so you don’t. In most cases, the head makes the decision which is in conflict with the heart. And we have an expression for this: ‘My heart’s not in it anymore.” (if it ever was in the first place).
A quick course of leading with the heart
In my book, 5 Steps to Rapid Employment, step two received national recognition as I outline how to lead with the heart and identify what makes us truly happy – in life and in the workplace (I will email the chapter to you – see end of article). Though we may have 15, 20, or more values, there are only about 6 to 8 core values that make up 90 percent of our happiness. This means that when we identify our top 6 to 8 career values, and place them in a hierarchy of importance, we will then know precisely what makes you happy in a career/job.
With this heightened level of self-awareness, we can then begin the process of working towards building a career in harmony with our signature values. And when we have identified our 6-8 core values and then place them in a hierarchy, they become “My Signature Values.” In other words, you and I might have the exact same 8 values, but your list will, most likely, be in a different order than mine. This is why once we identify our values and prioritize them, they become ours alone, that I call, “My Signature Values.” To identify our values, the question we ask the ‘heart’ is:
“What’s most important to me in my career or job that will make me happy and that will significantly enrich the quality of my life?”
Let me share an example. Aileen, age 33, came to me having no idea what career path she wanted to take.
Jay: “Aileen, I will ask you a question and I want you to not think about an answer, but feel what response would make you happy. In other words, don’t think. Just allow your heart to have its say – even if the head says it’s ridiculous. Instead of brainstorming – let’s try heart-storming. Just write down whatever “feels good to you.”
Aileen: “This sounds weird but I’ll try.”
Jay: “What’s most important to you in a career or job that will make you happy and that will significantly enrich the quality of your life? You might want to consider a job where you were really happy. What was it about that job that made you really happy? That’s a career value. Maybe you can also think of a job you really disliked. What specifically was it that made you dislike the job, and the opposite would be your value. If you weren’t respected and that caused significant angst, being respected would be a core career value. This process is all about trusting the heart, not the head.”
Aileen went to work on this. She came up with the following:
- Fast-paced environment
- Training others
- Work in teams
- Freedom
- Work with ideas
- Writing
- Change society for the better
- Flexible schedule
- No weekend work
- Recognition and respect
- $75,000 minimum
- Minimal stress
- Precision work
- Advancement
- Leadership
- Variety and change
- Personal growth
- A good boss
- Reputable company
- Integrity
- Good benefits
I then said, “Aileen, of the 21 values you noted, which 8 would be most important to you? In other words, if you worked at a job that aligned with all 8 values, you’d be the happiest lady alive.” She smiled, and then put her heart into the process and came up with:
- A good boss
- Writing
- Recognition and respect
- $75,000 minimum
- Good benefits
- Integrity
- Personal growth
- Work with ideas
- Change society for the better
I then asked her to list them in order of priority to her (Her “My Signature Values’). And she came up with:
- Writing – to change society (people) for the better (combination of two)
- A good boss
- $75,000 minimum and good benefits (combined two)
- Integrity – recognition and respect (combining two)
- Personal growth
- Work with ideas
Jay: “Aileen, if you worked at a job where all your values above were met, how happy would you be?”
Aileen: “Out of my mind happy,” she responded.
Jay: “You have identified your “My Signature Values.” The goal now is to identify industries and job titles that align with your values. And when you do this, and when you interview, you can ask questions to assure the company meets your needs (My Signature Values), just as you can meet theirs.”
With her values in hand and her heart fully on board, the head went to work. In less than a month, Aileen landed a 6-figure position as senior grant writer for a non-profit that helps single moms – many homeless.
The challenge for coaches
The key to this process is to challenge career explorers to not think – and to allow their feelings and emotions to identify what’s most important to them in a career or job that will make them happy and that will significantly enrich their quality of life. It’s not a quiz, it’s not a test, and it’s not an instrument. It’s a one-on-one collaboration with your clients to challenge them to heart-storm, not brainstorm. Once the heart says, “Find an antibiotic to save and enhance lives,” the head says, “I have no idea how to do this at this moment, but I’ll get to work on it.” And soon after, Alexander Fleming developed penicillin. The same process works for career explorers as well.
For the full chapter (Step 2) on defining your ideal career/job… please send me a request to: [email protected] and I’ll email you a copy.
Entrepreneurial Exploration: Testing and Expanding Your Business Offerings
If there’s one thing I know about business, it’s that nothing stays the same.
Whether external factors force you to adapt or your need for growth pushes the business to evolve, what we start with is rarely what we end up with.
The important thing to know is that it isn’t a sign of failure—it’s the natural progress of you and your business.
When I launched my business, I had one core service, one primary audience, and a fairly straightforward vision of how it would all unfold. But as I gained experience, listened to my clients, and experimented with new offerings, I realized there were new, exciting, and more unique ways to serve coaches and clients.
Sound familiar? That’s because it’s not so different from career exploration. Just like professionals explore industries, roles, and skills to find the right fit, business owners test services, refine offerings, and pivot as they uncover what works best.
Here is some food for thought on how to dive into your career exploration – as an entrepreneur.
1. Lean into the Evolution
Most entrepreneurs start with a single focus—a core service that feels like a natural extension of their expertise, and as time goes on, we often realize we’re capable of more!
→ What was once a zone of genius has become a zone of competence, so we seek new zones of genius.
Maybe your clients start asking for services you hadn’t considered, or you see a gap in the market. Maybe you get bored with what you’ve been doing and need a challenge. Whatever the reason, business evolution is natural and necessary, but the key is to evolve intentionally rather than reactively.
Here are a few ways you can be in tune without jumping the gun:
- Listen to patterns in client feedback. What are people consistently asking for that you don’t currently offer?
- Assess your interests. What do you enjoy doing the most, and what could you see yourself leaning into more?
- Check the market. Just because you can offer something doesn’t mean you should. Does the demand justify the effort? Will you enjoy providing such a service?
When done strategically, adding new services expands your reach, increases revenue, and keeps you engaged in your work.
2. The Experimentation Mindset
Ever had an idea that sounded amazing in theory but flopped in execution? You’re not alone.
That’s why the best business owners approach new offerings with an experimentation mindset—testing before investing too much time, energy, or money.
→ WARNING: put your perfectionist hat away for this one, y’all!
To test new services, you must be willing to launch them before they’re ready. Otherwise, you’ll waste too much time developing them before knowing how your audience will react.
Instead of launching big, try:
- Pilot programs → Run a small test group before a full-scale launch.
- Beta offerings → Offer a service at a discounted rate in exchange for feedback; this works best when focused on exciting clients or an inner circle you trust to test the product.
- Time-bound experiments → Try something for three months before deciding if it’s a long-term fit.
Treat new ideas like prototypes that need to exist outside your head. Refine them based on real-world feedback before fully committing. (It’s called risk mitigation, friends!).
3. When to Pivot, Expand, or Double Down
Not every idea is a winner. And that’s okay. Knowing when to release, pivot, expand, or double down is the trick.
Here are some signs it’s time to release or pivot:
❌ Your current offers aren’t selling despite strong marketing efforts.
❌ You’ve lost passion for your work, which feels like a grind.
❌ The market has shifted, and your services are no longer relevant.
If you’re seeing demand grow steadily, with repeat clients and referrals, it might be time to expand.
✅ Consider adding complementary services.
✅ Build out scalable offerings, like courses or memberships.
✅ Look for strategic partnerships to widen your reach.
And if something is working exceptionally well? Double down.
✔ Raise prices to reflect demand.
✔ Reinforce your expertise in that area.
The magic of business exploration and solo-preneurship is that it’s okay to change your mind: try things, fail, succeed wildly, and use that knowledge to your advantage!
4. Finding the Right Offer Mix
Once you’ve tested an idea and know it works, the next step is turning that experiment into a core offering.
How do you go from “Let’s see if this works” to “This is what I do now”?
- Refine the process. Can you create a repeatable framework that makes selling and delivering this service easier?
- Develop supporting assets. Marketing materials make it feel official, and evergreen materials used within the program will add value to the client while helping you work more efficiently.
- Position it within your brand. Where does this fit into your larger business identity? How does it complement your existing services?
- Don’t be afraid. Adding new services may mean sunsetting old ones, but that doesn’t mean you have to start telling clients, “No.” It may, however, mean you need to build a strong referral network so you can say, “Not me!”
Not every experiment needs to become a long-term fixture, but when you embrace the exploration, you will inevitably find new opportunities to serve while building toward your next big thing. Your business will evolve.
The best businesses aren’t built overnight; they’re discovered, tested, and refined over time, so as you navigate your journey, I challenge you to ask yourself:
🔹 What’s one new idea you’ve been considering but haven’t tested yet?
🔹 Is there an existing service that needs a refresh—or a retirement?
🔹 Where is your business naturally pulling you next?
Give yourself permission to explore – it is the best way to build a business (and career) that lasts. Here’s to the next phase of your journey—wherever it leads!
Your Friend and Coach,
Angie Callen, CPRW, CPCC
Strap In and Ride It Up
There is always a pile of books on management and entrepreneurship to choose from, and although I don’t find grand revelations in every book I pick up, I do like the search. Recently I discovered a new book, and what has stuck with me is the author’s description of catastrophic thinking, or catastrophizing.
The author presented this as a pattern that he noticed in himself. As he explained it, he had recently started a new enterprise and it was moving along in fits and starts, as a new business is wont to do. And he noticed that at every downturn or bad week, he found himself projecting one negative event to the nth degree.
“Okay, I got half as many orders as I normally do. That means I’m not going to be able to cover some bills — what if it happens again? I won’t be able to pay this month’s rent!” By the end of this thought exercise, he was living on the streets and had lost the majority of his teeth.
The author’s assertion was that moments like these are a lesson for entrepreneurs to know when to get out of their own way, because that thinking doesn’t stop at logical points. It spirals indefinitely until you’ve convinced yourself that you’re in some dark, awful pit with no means of egress.
I’d like to think that I am not the only person who saw themselves reflected in the author’s panic and “what if” response. In business, emotional swings are to be expected. When you run your own business, whether it’s a growing startup or a plateaued mature business, you’re simply going to have to ride the emotional rollercoaster.
As I considered the familiarity of this pattern, though, I developed a question. If it’s easy for owners to ride the emotional rollercoaster down, why can’t we ride it back up to the top? The fantasy of slipping ever downward is a compelling one, but if we’re really going to consider this as a rollercoaster, then you should be able to use that downward force to ride back up the other side to new heights.
When you’re riding the rollercoaster down, you’re projecting a fantasy of scarcity. “What if I don’t sell as much as I need to? What if I come in under the line?” While this fear is certainly compelling, that doesn’t change its unreal nature. So if we’re going to indulge ourselves in fantasies anyway, why not make them ones of abundance? “What if I sell an extra ten units? How would I handle it if I sold a hundred more, how would I manage that kind of rampant growth?”
In response to that question, I would point out that there are more than a few books that give guidance on how to scale up your business. Which can lead to interesting hypotheticals and planning scenarios, although the advice is somewhat limited by the refrain of, “Just ask somebody to loan you $100 million so you can afford to annually lose $10 million for 10 years.” While I have no doubt that that plan of attack is effective, it’s not something that most people can even conceive of, let alone enact.
If you’re an average human being without access to near-limitless capital and looking to advance your business, I’d recommend that you invest the time planning for your business’ success instead of dreading its downfall. Take some time and paint the picture of what a little more success looks like, and then a lot more.
From there, start backing into scenarios like, “Well if I did this and got 1, how could I do that again and get 2? What behaviors got me there, what did I do that generated success, and how do I do it again, and bigger?”
There will always be strong positive and negative emotions that come with owning and operating a business. But just like you ride the rollercoaster down with alarming speed, you can use that same energy to propel yourself upward and create a vision of where you’d like your business to be. Once you can see it, you’ll be able to start taking concrete steps to make that goal a reality.
Navigating the Changing Job Market: Layoffs, Buyouts, and Opportunities
The U.S. job market is experiencing significant shifts, with steady employment gains counterbalanced by widespread layoffs and government workforce reductions. Recent data shows resilience in private-sector job growth, yet federal buyouts and agency restructuring are affecting thousands of workers. Job seekers and professionals navigating these changes must stay informed about industry trends, workforce reductions, and new opportunities.
Latest Job Market Data
According to recent reports, the U.S. economy added 143,000 jobs in January 2025, a figure slightly below the anticipated 168,000. The unemployment rate declined to 4.0%, demonstrating overall labor market stability. However, sector-specific challenges are emerging, particularly within the federal workforce.
Key Takeaways:
- Job Gains: Revised figures indicate 261,000 jobs were added in November 2024 and 307,000 in December 2024, underscoring ongoing economic momentum.
- Government Workforce Buyouts: Over 65,000 federal employees have accepted buyout offers as part of a major restructuring initiative aimed at reducing government employment levels.
- Legal Challenges: A federal judge has halted the buyout program, citing concerns over legality and congressional oversight. This has left some employees in limbo as legal proceedings unfold.
- Sector-Specific Impacts: Areas with high government employment, such as Washington, D.C., are seeing economic uncertainty as agencies restructure and workers assess their career paths.
How Layoffs and Buyouts Affect Job Seekers
For professionals affected by layoffs or buyouts, the changing job market presents both challenges and opportunities. While some government workers may face uncertainty, private-sector hiring remains steady, particularly in industries like healthcare, technology, and skilled trades.
Hiring Trends in Different Industries
Understanding hiring trends across industries can help job seekers make informed career decisions. Below are some of the fastest-growing sectors in 2025:
- Healthcare: Demand for nurses, medical technicians, and home health aides continues to surge due to an aging population and increasing healthcare needs. Additionally, telehealth and digital health roles are growing as technology plays a larger role in patient care.
- Technology: Cybersecurity, AI development, and cloud computing remain strong career paths. Companies are increasingly hiring professionals skilled in data analytics, software engineering, and IT infrastructure to support remote work and automation.
- Skilled Trades: Manufacturing, construction, and renewable energy sectors are growing, offering stable employment options. Green energy jobs, such as solar panel installation and wind turbine maintenance, are in high demand due to sustainability initiatives.
- Finance & Banking: The financial sector is expanding, with increased hiring in investment banking, financial planning, and fintech development. Digital banking and blockchain-related roles are also seeing an uptick in demand.
- Retail & E-Commerce: While traditional retail continues to face challenges, e-commerce and logistics-related roles are expanding. Warehouse management, supply chain coordination, and last-mile delivery jobs are increasing due to continued growth in online shopping.
- Education & Training: With the rise of remote learning and online courses, demand for instructional designers, online educators, and corporate training professionals is growing. Schools and universities are also hiring counselors and administrative staff to support students’ academic and career development.
The evolving job market presents both risks and opportunities for professionals, particularly those impacted by government layoffs and buyouts. While some sectors face workforce reductions, others are expanding and actively hiring. Job seekers should stay proactive, leverage their skills, and remain adaptable in their career strategies. By staying informed and prepared, individuals can successfully navigate these economic shifts and secure rewarding opportunities in the evolving job landscape.
Career Transition and Feature Engineering
You could argue that résumé writers are also data scientists. We don’t necessarily crunch statistics and use machine learning techniques to draw meaningful conclusions, but we certainly analyze, create, transform, and position data for maximum consumption by a human or technical audience.
One of the fundamental concepts in data science is a process called “feature engineering”. Simply put, it refers to the process of assigning value to different types of raw data, identifying what is most relevant, and removing redundant or irrelevant data. Tell me if this resonates with you:
“For example, let’s consider a retail scenario where a data model is predicting customer churn. Here it might benefit from focusing on features like “purchase frequency” and “customer feedback sentiment”, while ignoring less impactful ones like “the time of day that purchases are made”. This helps to avoid the model getting overwhelmed by noise, improving both its efficiency and accuracy.” ~ Top 11 Data Science Skills in 2025
This analogy is informative for just about any résumé project, magnified by an exponent of 10 in the case of a career change scenario. Like the CNC Machinist who is completing his degree in computer-aided design (CAD) and now wants to pursue job opportunities in that field.
It is easy to get overwhelmed by the noise. Data is frequently the résumé raw material your client wants MORE of. In this case, Jefferson Halliday originally presented a ton of information about his vast experience in CNC and manual milling, lathe setup, and operation. The reader, however, has only a limited attention span to work with.
So if you replace the feature “job description” with “transferable skills”, add the feature “CAD Projects”, and include the feature “coursework”, you can engineer a targeted product that 1) focuses on the relevancy of his portfolio; 2) eliminates irrelevant skills; and 3) translates the value from his previous experience. When your main sections and sub-sections speak directly to the reader’s attention, you capture the highest and best use of your limited space.
Career changers especially can benefit from the application of feature engineering concepts:
- Data Selection: Résumé professionals are paid to carefully choose relevant information and highlight experiences and skills pertinent to the desired job. Choosing what data to feature is step #1.
- Data Transformation: Sometimes we transform raw data into a more useful format. Often we rephrase or reorganize content to better align with job requirements. Choosing how to feature the data is step #2.
- Emphasis on Quantification: In feature engineering, numerical representations of data can help enhance clarity and impact. Value is paramount; quantifiable value is the holy grail.
- Customization for Specific Goals: Feature engineering is all about customizing and presenting data to showcase the most relevant qualifications and gain a specific performance outcome. The target itself might change, but the feature engineering process changes with it.
- Iterative Refinement: Job seekers often revise their résumés based on feedback or new experiences, just as feature engineers iteratively test and refine features to enhance data model outcomes. Your clients might never be able to do this; luckily, they have you.
The CPRW exam is a feature engineering capability test…so is your next college student, military transition, justice-involved client, or senior-level executive. It’s a good thing you’re a data scientist, prepared to do more than just laundry-list someone’s job history, and smart enough to know that the quantity of data you start with is no match for the quality of data you end up with.
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” ~ Hans Hofmann
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